Trap/Skeet Shotgun for beginner?

[sheepdogs]

My father-in-law is looking for an inexpensive shotgun to use at his local trap club. I think he's found a new hobby (thankfully) to carry him into retirement. His budget is ~$500. Used is fine. Recommendations? Thank you in advance.

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[WAYNO]

We keep seeing Trap and Skeet used in the same request. A trap gun and skeet gun are two completely different animals. If informal clay pigeon shooting is the only criteria, then it doesn't matter. if it's strictly a trap gun to be used at a trap club, then I think a dedicated trap gun is money well spent. Trap shooting is an expensive sport, and ya might as well take any advantage you can get.

If a feller never plans on taking the sport seriously, and never cares to be competitive, then yes, a quality field gun can be used. 870 again comes to mind.

If you can find a Remington 870 Trap, or 1100 Trap, they are both excellent choices. And over the years, these guns have come in different grades...TA, TB or TC, TA being the cheapest. They are all available used, and they never wear out.

 

[Flymph]

I'm not really sure, but you can get a browning A5 for pretty cheap, and it's semi auto. Those kick pretty hard tho. Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 are good choices too. You can probably get a savage 555 for about that much. Depends on if you want a semiauto, pump, or O/U. Go rent some guns and see what he likes best.

 

[DirectDrive]

Get in touch with Doug Dinsmore at Vancouver Trap Club ([email protected]) and tell him you have a new shooter that would like to try/rent some guns.
Stay on it....set up a day and time.
This is the best way.

DO NOT run out and buy a gun unless you know exactly what you want.
DO NOT buy a field gun if you want to take the sport seriously.

So, hook up with Doug and everything else should take care of itself.

Edit:
A "locked up" gun like a pump or break open is going to deliver more felt recoil.
A "gas gun" (semi auto) will absorb some of the recoil.

 

[teflon6string]

Does your father in law know other guys involved in either hobby - trap or skeet?

There's a good chance that trying his hands on other people's weapons will be very telling, and perhaps steer him toward (or away from) certain choices. And save him some money. For tubes that spit sand and gravel, shotguns can get mad expensive in a hurry.

There's also the possibility that he might spend a little or a LOT on gearing up and then decide a year from now that he doesn't have the time, money or passion to pour into it that he originally believed he might.

Whatever he gets to try (the more the better) they will expose him to the strengths and weakness of various shotguns - and perhaps a preference for skeet over trap (or the other way around). Personally, I get plenty of fun from a cheapo pump and hand thrown clays with two throwers to keep it lively.

With all that said, I believe that shooting something economical for a year might help him make a better informed decision about investing in something more expensive and purpose-driven somewhere down the road.

 

[BWH]

Been there and done that, both trap and skeet with a lot of sporting clays thrown in.
I would lean towards a remington 1100 in either event configuration. You want the gun to fit you.
Also, the older ithica/skb o/u guns worked well as do the beretta 303 series auto loaders.

 

[DirectDrive]

Been there and done that, both trap and skeet with a lot of sporting clays thrown in.
I would lean towards a remington 1100 in either event configuration. You want the gun to fit you.
Also, the older ithica/skb o/u guns worked well as do the beretta 303 series auto loaders.

Those are all good guns.
The new Beretta is called a 391.
1100's have have done a lot of winning.

I was reserving comment on actual models, but I will reiterate, don't buy a cheap field gun.
Get to know people at the club and you just might fall into a wicked good deal on a bona fide trap gun.
http://bransontrapcom.ipage.com/PDF/Trap_vs_Field_gun.pdf

 

[WAYNO]

There is nothing more available than a trap gun for sale at the local trap club. Trap shooters are a strange bunch. Missing one bird out of a hundred could cause the shooter to sell his gun on the spot. We were always looking for the next best trap gun, and I often changed trap guns, for the most ridiculous of reasons, including superstitions.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I'm a beginning trap shooter, I have a Mossberg 500 in 12 and 20 gauge and a Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. The 1100 is my favorite. I like the 20 better than the 12's for sure.

 

[DirectDrive]

I'm a beginning trap shooter, I have a Mossberg 500 in 12 and 20 gauge and a Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. The 1100 is my favorite. I like the 20 better than the 12's for sure.

Have you borrowed anyone's 1100 12 ga Trap gun ?
More pellets = better chance to smoke the bird.....that's why trap is a primarily 12 gauge sport.

 

[USMC1911]

I would suggest a gun with adjustable/changeable choke so you have some versatility in distance to shoot trap at. I always love the open/fun shoots and games you can play. I do think a cheaper gun is the way to go for a newbie so if it's something you not really into the gun is easy to move. High end trap guns are really a tuff sell. But if high end I suggest he look at Perazzi

 

[bbbass]

I'm a beginning trap shooter, I have a Mossberg 500 in 12 and 20 gauge and a Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. The 1100 is my favorite. I like the 20 better than the 12's for sure.

You might like it, but if we are talking club or competitive trap, you will score better with a 12, simply because it throws more lead.

Oh, I see that was already mentioned. Oh well, DITTO!!!

Ok guys, if he gets a shotgun with interchangeable chokes, what barrel length should he buy?

 

[DirectDrive]

Ok guys, if he gets a shotgun with interchangeable chokes, what barrel length should he buy?

Depends on whether it's a break-open or a pump/auto.

 

[bbbass]

Ok, give examples of each. And for break opens lets do both single and O/U.

 

[DirectDrive]

Ok, give examples of each. And for break opens lets do both single and O/U.

OK, so is this for 16 yard line or 27 yard line ?
Also a one-eyed shooter or a two-eyed shooter ?

 

[DirectDrive]

There's a wiseguy in every group !

What I would do :

Break open single.....32 or 34 Full
Break open double.....32 Full/Imp Mod

Pump/auto.....30 Full

And since these are choke tubes, I'd have an Extra Full and a Mod in the mix as well.

 

[bbbass]

Thanx DD! It's been so long since I shot regulated trap that I didn't have a clue.

Just for kicks and as background... back in the 70z and 80z I used to shoot an Ithaca Mod 37 pump field gun with 26" Mod choke barrel for 16yd trap. For 27yd trap, I shot a Remington Model 31TC pump with a 28" barrel, a full choke, and an extra wide vent rib. Also a Charles Daly Miroku O/U with 30" barrels and both full choke. Also a Remington Model 3200 O/U 30" Full and Modified.

This was before the day of screw-in chokes. My how things change. But I never was a "trap shooter" per se. I liked to go but on a seaman's salary couldn't afford any of those fancy long barreled guns the real disciples used.

All 12ga of course. Not that I didn't own 20ga shotguns but I saved them for quail and hand thrown clays.

 

[DirectDrive]

In my yoot I also shot a model 37 12ga 30 Full and 26" Deerslayer IC
Many thousands of rounds through that gun
My favorite pumpgun

 

[bbbass]

Yes, I had a Deerslayer 20" barrel for my 37. Long before the current crop of combat barrels.

What I liked about that shotgun was that it fit me well and was quick pointing. While the bottom ejection was great in the field, it wasn't so much fun on the trap line feeding one shell at a time.

Dontcha mean yote? Shucks, you is just a pup man.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Have you borrowed anyone's 1100 12 ga Trap gun ?
More pellets = better chance to smoke the bird.....that's why trap is a primarily 12 gauge sport.

I've actually made several attempts to buy a 12ga 1100 on this forum but have not yet been successful.